With the NHL season now in the distant past (relatively speaking), but next season still months away, as hockey fans we find ourselves mired in the most boring part of the season, the offseason. To help kill time during the offseason, we will bring you some classic NHL moments that we are taking a look back on, just because we are fans of the game. With such a great sport, played by great people over the course of a century, we certainly will not be short of great moments. Let’s get to it.

“Off The Floor, On The Board”

The Set Up:
​It was Game 6 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals which pitted the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim against the New Jersey Devils. As the teams took to the ice, the Mighty Ducks were in a must-win situation, as they trailed 3-2 in the series. A concern from Mighty Ducks fans heading into the game was “we need more scoring from Paul Kariya.” The Mighty Ducks captain was struggling to score, but in a pregame interview, noted the fact that he himself would like to see more goals go in. With 13:44 left in the second period, and the Mighty Ducks leading 3-1, Kariya made a pass through the neutral zone, and a second later, was absolutely leveled by Devils captain Scott Stevens. Stevens was an easy selection to the Hall of Fame, and at this point in his career, had made a living DESTROYING those who chose to skate through the open ice with their heads down, and Kariya was no exception. The hit left Kariya unconscious at center ice, and he appeared to not be breathing for a moment. After lying motionless on the ice for a few seconds, it was as if his body snapped back into it and Kariya let out a big exhale which you could see hit his visor. The doctors attended to Kariya and helped him slowly off the ice and into the locker room and presumably to the hospital.
​If you have ever watched a hockey game in your life, you know how tough every player is and the warrior mentality that they all possess, but the scene at center seemed to all that Kariya’s season was over. To the surprise of everyone, most notably Stevens, just minutes later Kariya returned from the runway to the locker room and took a quick skate during a stoppage with 9:13 left in the second period. Many a NHL player have played through an excruciating injury in the playoffs or the Final, but minutes after being knocked out cold to the point of not breathing, Kariya returning was a moment in and of itself, until…

The Moment:
​After returning to play, with just under three minutes left in that second period, Kariya took a neutral zone pass, skated over the very spot where only a few minutes ago he was lying unconscious, crossed the blue line and wound up for a slap shot. From a good distance away, Kariya absolutely blasted a perfect slap shot and blew it by future first ballot Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur, and the crowd erupted. With one of the best calls of his career, all-time great ESPN commentator Gary Thorne called the play: “SCOREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! OFF THE FLOOR, ON THE BOARD! Paul Kariya!!!”.
​The Mighty Ducks went on to force game seven, but ultimately lost in New Jersey in that seventh game. However, to any lifelong hockey fan, this was still one of those moments that epitomizes the sport of hockey and the players that play it.

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Our Sunday started out with an easy win as the total in the Indiana-Atlanta game went over. The Lakers-Spurs game (+9) was really close. The Bucks kept it close in the first half but just had a total meltdown in the second half. In the last game of the night, we had the total over 213 and the final score totaled up to 211,If you watched the game, you’re just as frustrated as me.

YTD Season: 3-4-1

In the first game of the night, the Brooklyn Nets will continue to route the Chicago Bulls. I had the Bulls +5 because the Bulls are still a great defensive team and with Joakim Noah back, things were promising. Apparently not. The most productive center in the league, Brook Lopez, is playing great along with Deron Williams who’s been on a tear since the All-Star break. Noah came back but wasn’t a huge factor. The Chicago starters combined for just 50 points while the Brooklyn starters combined for 78.

Key(s) to winning- Rebounds

1 Unit (Brooklyn Nets -5)

In primetime comes the highlight reel Los Angeles Clippers who will try to take a 2-0 lead in their series. The Clippers’ bench only scored nine more points than the Grizzlies bench but the difference in the game was rebounding, The Clippers out-rebounded the Grizzlies 47-23. There’s a saying in basketball, you control the board/paint, and you control the game. The Grizzlies just don’t have enough intensity to match up with the Clippers, especially in Los Angeles.

Key(s) to winning- Rebounds + Bench Production

1 Unit- (Los Angeles Clippers -5.5)

On Tuesday we have the Miami Heat taking on the Milwaukee Bucks in what looks to be a four-game sweep for the King and his gang. Even though Brandon Jennings showed up and played a decent game in Game 1, the picture shows exactly what happened on Sunday. King James took matters into his own hands and flirted with a triple-double as the Heat erased any doubt in Jennings’ mind that the Bucks will win in six. In summary, the Bucks simply can’t handle the Heat. And with another blowout in mind, I don’t see any value in taking either the total points because it could go either way in a blowout situation.

Key(s) to winning- King James leading the way

0 Unit- (No value in either points or total)

In more Tuesday action we have the still emotional Boston Celtics at New York taking on the Knicks and like I predicted in Game 1, the Celtics did put up a fight and could have easily covered the game, but were held to eight points in the fourth quarter. Boston also turned the ball over several times in the final two minutes. While emotions ran high during the first game, I feel like the Knicks showed the Celtics first hand why they are 31-10 at home this season. With New York’s stellar defense in the second half forcing turnovers, and with Boston lacking a true point guard, the Celtics had plenty of trouble taking care of the ball. I predict that the Celtics will win outright in Game 3 at home for their home crowd, but for Game 2, take the Knicks.

Key(s) to winning- 3pt% & FT%

1 Unit- (Knicks -6.5)

The nightcap on Tuesday features a GoldenState team that is missing David Lee for the remainder of the playoffs. I had predicted that the Warriors would put up a fight and make it a tough series with Lee and Andrew Bogut being paint problems for the Denver Nuggets but it’s not happening now.The Warriors lost their main low-post threat and about 20 points per game to go along with 10 rebounds per game. With that in mind, the Nuggets were lucky to come out with a win via a buzzer-beater by 37-year-old veteran Andre Miller, who came off the bench with 28 points. It doesn’t look like George Karl will have the need to play Kenneth Faried with Lee out of the picture, so were going to keep going with the under for Game 2.

Key(s) to winning- Points in the paint

1 Unit- (Total under 207)

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After another exciting year of basketball, David & James are tackling the hottest questions. Predictions on all NBA awards!!

Most Valuable Player:

David: LeBron James (MIA) –The obvious choice. Chris Paul should also be noted, the Clippers would be nowhere without him, but it’s hard to argue with the season LeBron and the Heat have had.

James: LeBron James (MIA) –I don’t think you can go with anyone else. Melo and Paul might take a vote or two but LeBron is the most complete player we have ever seen.

Rookie of the Year:

David: Damian Lillard (POR) – Led all rookies in scoring and assists while providing the Blazers with another legitimate threat alongside LaMarcus Aldridge to build for the future. He is an up and coming star to watch.

James: Damian Lillard (POR) – Lillard was an absolute monster for the Trail Blazers this year. He was brilliant scoring and passing the ball. I think we have a star!

Sixth Man of the Year:

David: J.R. Smith (NYK) – Led all 6th men in points per game at 18.1 (a new career high for him) and provided a much-needed spark down the stretch for the Knicks.

James: J.R. Smith (NYK) – David and I agree 3 for 3 thus far. Smith came into the season with a new attitude and it showed. Smith has always been a score first player, this year he learned how to be more efficient. It should be added that Jamal Crawford was the run away leader at the all star break.

Defensive Player of the Year:

David: Larry Sanders (MIL) – Finished 2nd in the league in blocked shots (2.83 bpg) and 12th in rebounding (9.5 rpg); better player than many expected him to be coming out of VCU.

James: Serge Ibaka (OKC) – I may be alone in voting for Ibaka, who should have won the award last year, but he was yet again a monster on defense.

Most Improved Player of the Year:

David: James Harden (HOU) – We all knew he had superstar potential, but a 10 ppg increase in only 7 additional minutes per game on a new team showed the world just how good he is, not to mention averaging nearly 6 assists and 2 steals per game.

James: Paul George (IND) – I am with David on voting for Harden but George finally showed what he was made of. He played outstanding this season and even had some great games against Lebron James.

Coach of the Year:

David: George Karl (DEN) – The Nuggets (57-25) finished one game out of 2nd and 3 games out of first in the Western Conference. With that roster, no one saw that coming, but their entertaining and hard-working style ran teams off the court at times this year.

James: George Karl (DEN) – I am just echoing David. Karl had his boys playing team ball week in and week out.

David: Los Angeles Lakers – All of the hype coming into the season was foiled by injuries, coaching changes, and a lack of chemistry. They are lucky to even be in the playoffs and are a lock for a first round exit without Kobe Bryant against the Spurs.

James: Los Angeles Lakers – This is the only choice. My NBA Championship pick (you would think I would learn teams dont win in the offseason) flopped. I don’t think anyone saw this coming.

Biggest Surprise

David: The Spurs have done it again – Year after year they appear to be too old, not enough support around their big 3, etc. Yet here they are again, 2nd in the Western Conference, and primed for a playoff run if Manu Ginobili can get healthy.

James: The Clippers Win the Division – Last year, Chris Paul helped the Clippers turn the corner. This year, he took them to another level. Lob City was tremendous to watch this year. They are talented, deep and just so fun to watch.

NBA Finals Matchup & Champion:

David: Miami Heat v Oklahoma City Thunder – Miami in 5, could even be a sweep. Securing home court allowed their bench to get in rhythm and their starters to get healthy. A repeat for the Heat is all but a guarantee.

James: Miami Heat v Oklahoma City Thunder – Thunder in 7. I don’t really see anyone beating the Heat 4 times but maybe this is wishful thinking. While they might be missing Harden (maybe a little), Durant and Westbrook have both elevated their games.

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At 1p.m. EsT we have the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks featuring Josh Smith and Jeff Teague visiting the third-seeded Indiana Pacers with Paul George and David West. Indiana is trying to build on its great season despite missing star Danny Granger. The Pacers are 30-11 at home while the Hawks are 19-22 on the road.

11/7/12 Indiana @ Atlanta 86-89

12/29/12 Indiana @ Atlanta 100-109

2/5/13 Atlanta @ Indiana 103-114

3/25/13 Atlanta @ Indiana 94-100

As you can see the matchups these two teams have had in the regular season, home court advantage is HUGE and can determine the momentum of the series. I don’t want to sound like a broken record but the NBA playoffs are all about defense and limiting turnovers is a huge key to winning games. The Pacers and Hawks are similar in that category, with the Pacers committing 1227 turnovers while the Hawks committed 1219 for the whole season. While the Hawks are not known for their three-point prowess they rank 7th in the league in three-point percentage at 37.1 percent while the Pacers converted 34.7 of their three-point attempts. Whichever team can take care of the ball and limiting 3’s from the opposing team will win the game. But I do see this game going over the total 185.5

Key(s) to winning:Limiting turnovers and three-point percentage

1 Unit (Total over 185.5)

At 3:30PM EST comes one of the most exciting matchups we have in the West. The seventh-seeded Mamba-less Los Angeles Lakers visit the playoff experienced second-seeded San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are 35-6 at home while the Lakers are an ugly 16-25 away from Staples Center.

11/13/12 San Antonio @ Los Angeles 84-82

1/9/13 Los Angeles @ San Antonio 105-108

4/14/13 San Antonio @ Los Angeles 86-91

With and without Kobe Bryant, the Lakers have managed to keep all three regular season meetings close. Both teams know each other very well and without a doubt the key players for this game will be Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard versus Tony Parker and Tim Duncan., Ever since the All-Star break and the passing of Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss, the Lakers have found a sense of urgency and have clawed themselves back into the playoff picture. The Spurs however have been well… the Spurs, despite several injuries throughout the season, with the managed playing times of his star players, Gregg Popovich has a full squad ready for another championship run. It will be a close game and even though the final score will not show, free-throw percentage will determine the outcome of the game as the Spurs shoot .791 while the Lakers shoot a disastrous .692 from the charity stripe.

Key(s) to winning- Free-throw percentage along with the Gasol/Howard versus Parker/Duncan matchup

1 Unit (Lakers +9)

Interesting matchup coming in at 7 p.m. EST, the top-seeded defending champions Miami Heat host the eighth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat are 37-4 at home and the Bucks are 17-24 away from home.

11/21/12 Milwaukee @ Miami 106-113 OT

12/29/12 Miami @ Milwaukee 85-104

3/15/13 Miami @ Milwaukee 107-94

4/9/13 Milwaukee @ Miami 83-94

First questions that comes into mind, how many eightseeds have upset the No. 1 seed to move on to the second round? The answer is five.

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Seattle Supersonics 3-2 in 1994.

The New York Knicks defeated the Miami Heat in 1999, 3-2.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks in 2007, 4-2.

The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs in 2011, 4-2.

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Chicago Bulls in 2012, 4-2

Both teams will be healthy to start their playoff run, and as I’ve highlighted in red above, we have had upsets in the past twp years in a row where an eight seed knocked off a oneseed. Will Miami share the same fate or will it be the Thunder that will be a part of history? Opening games are always hard to predict even more so for this matchup, but 13 is just too much in a playoff game to be favorite by even when you’re the Heat.

No hard feelings? At 9:30PM EST we have another great matchup between the eighth-seeded Houston Rockets visiting the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are 34-7 at home while the Rockets are 16-25 away from Toyota Center.

11/28/12 Houston @ OKC 98-120

12/29/12 OKC @ Houston 124-94

2/20/13 OKC @ Houston 119-122

If you’re looking for an up-tempo/transition type of game and you absolute HATE defense, look no further, we bring you Houston at Oklahoma City. Why no defense? The Houston Rockets are an atrocious 28th in the league at holding their opponents to 102.5 points per game while the Thunder sit 9th at 96.5 points per game allowed. Knowing that the Rockets can’t play defense, offense will be key to winning this game as the Rockets rank second in the league with 106 points per game and the Thunder just slightly behind at third with 105.7 points per game. Will The Thunder feel the effects of missing James Harden in the playoffs and be the sixth team to lose to an eighth seed? Or will Harden finally get his revenge on his former team?

Key(s) to winning- First team to 100 wins.

1 Unit (Total over 213)

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It’s Super Bowl week so we want to have a little fun here at The Cover 4.

We all know someone who is going to be “that guy” at your Super Bowl party this weekend. Is that going to be you or is it one of your buddies? Regardless, here are the 10 ways to avoid being THAT GUY this weekend.

1. Don’t Show Up Empty Handed

– Don’t break this rule! People spend plenty of hours making food so that you can enjoy the party. Don’t be the guy who shows up empty handed and expects to eat and drink everything. Also, bringing a bag of $.99 chips or a 1-liter drink from 7-11 doesn’t count. Let’s be real here! Pull your weight buddy.

2. Don’t Wear a Jersey of Your Favorite Team

– Believe it or not, but the season is over for your team. Don’t be the guy who shows up to the Ravens vs. 49ers Super Bowl party rocking his San Diego Charger jersey; save that jersey for the Pro Bowl dude… (oh wait, no one from the Chargers was chosen!). This is a game where the winners of the season get to wear their jerseys in pride, don’t rain on their parade.

3. Don’t Be the Guy Who Talks During Commercials

– This is the biggest commercial day of the year. Companies are paying millions of dollars for 30 seconds of air time so we are expecting to see the best of the best commercials. Don’t be the guy who talks during them. We all have the friend who has to give their input after every commercial. Relax killer and watch the commercials!

4. Don’t Be the Guy Who Talks About His Football Past

– Get over it Uncle Rico. We don’t care about your high school all-star past or your “tremendous” college career as a back-up. The glory days are over. Don’t let watching the Super Bowl bring back your glory days.

5. Don’t Be The Sports Book Guy

– We all know you spent $1000 at the sports book this weekend judging by the 45 tickets you have in your hand. We don’t care that you have every scenario from the coin flip to the game-winning field goal. Don’t be the guy screaming to throw the ball to Dennis Pitta because you need the over on his three catches for the game or the guy screaming for a turnover because you picked the over on the fumbles. Keep it to yourself because we don’t need a play by play.

6. Don’t Try to Act Like You Know More Than You Really Do

– Yup, it is true. We all know the guy who screams for Matt Ryan’s release or trade after an interception. “Oh my, Matt Ryan, you are so terrible! Next year we are going to trade Ryan for Andrew Luck.” Don’t be that guy who continues to act like he knows football more than he really does.

7. Don’t Drink All The Beer (And Be Out of Hand)

– We all know the friend who — in connection with Rule 1 — shows up empty handed (or with a measly six-pack of junk beer) and is drinking the beer at a torrid pace. Bro, you can’t drink all those beers if you didn’t supply some for the rest of us. It is almost kickoff and you’re seven deep. COME ON MAN! On the tail end, don’t be the belligerent idiot who is blacking out before half-time. We don’t want you stumbling around here. Be an adult and hold your liquor.

8. Don’t Act Like You Should Be The Coach

-“Call timeout! Call timeout! What are you doing? A run on 3rd and 2 with Frank Gore? I woulda thrown the bomb to Randy Moss down the sideline for an easy touchdown.” Do us all a favor and shut your mouth. You are a college student/entry businessman/hotel agent/etc. essentially everything but a coach. Sit down and let the coaches do their job buddy. Just because you play a lot of Madden and NCAA doesn’t mean you know what you are talking about.

9. Don’t Be Mr. Bandwagon

– Nothing is worse than the guy who just jumped on the bandwagon, especially when he rolls in with his brand new jersey or t-shirt. “Yeah man, my mom is from there. I’ve been a fan of the team since I was a little kid”. Do us all a favor and go watch the game somewhere else. Oh, we all know they exist because my Twitter and Facebook feeds are blowing up with some people who I didn’t even know liked the sport.

10. Let the Commentators Commentate

– Nothing is worse than the guy who tries to be one step ahead of the commentators. Oh man, let the professionals do their jobs because the rest of us want to watch and listen to the game. Don’t be the guy who continues to yell and scream about what is happening. Newsflash, we are all watching and listening to the same game my man.

BONUS: No Crying When Your Team Wins/Loses

– At the end of the day, someone’s team is winning and someone’s is losing. As a result, crying is possible from both sides. Don’t be the guy whose team wins and you are crying like you just won the lottery; dude, life goes on. Just relax! The players and team don’t even know you exist, so you can chill out a little. As for the crying loser, don’t go and drink a ton of beers and/or throw things around because your team lost. I remember my team’s first Super Bowl loss…

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